Separable base agitator



`c. 13, E938. A. w. ALTOR'FER 2,39,925

SEPARABLE BASE AGITATOR Filed Aug. 10, 1956 IHSZEHTEJE.-

Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNHTE STA'S ATENT OFFICE Application August 10,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to agitators for domestic washing machines.

In agitator type washers the washing action results from the oscillation of a submerged agitator through an arc of about 225 at the rate of about 5G oscillations per minute.

It will be appreciated that a light agitator has decided advantages over a heavy agitator because it reduces the stresses due to the inertia of stopping and starting the agitator. It will further be appreciated that a smooth agitator is desirable because the smooth surface reduces the wear on clothes in their Contact with the agitator. It will further be appreciated that an agitator revolving in the bottom of a tub must closely approximate contact with the bottom of the tub in order to prevent clothes from becoming wedged under the agitator and, therefore, the bottom surfaces of the agitator should be held as straight as possible.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an agitator that is lighter than the integrally cast agitator.

Another object is to provide a structure that permits the parts to be iinished or polished more effectively than a single piece agitator.

Another object is to provide a structure that will result in an agitator being more iiatly straight on the bottom than an integrally cast agitator.

A still further object is to provide a structure that permits the parts to be electrop-lated or otherwise smoothed and thus present a better appearance than an agitator not so finished.

Other objects and benefits will be disclosed by the following descriptions and illustrations of which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of my agitator with a fragment of the base broken away to show the vertical ange of the base; and,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view of Fig. 1, on the section lines 2 2, showing details and assembly of the parts; and,

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the section lines 3-3 showing a detail of the Vane and stem; and,

1936, Serial No. 95,069

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational View on the section line ll-Li showing the assembly of the vane to the base.

My separable vane agitator is a novel combination of parts of which Il) is the central stem and vane member, which is cast integrally, usually of aluminum, to reduce the weight. Numeral l l shows theanged base member attached to the member I0 by bolts l2. It will be appreciated that the base member Il with its vertical flange Il will be held rather straight, as a result of this vertical flange, and, therefore, it is possible when assembling the stem member Ill to bring this member likewise into flatly straight relation with the stiff base member Il.

A lower bearing section I3 is shown, formed integrally with the base member l l, although, of course, a bearing member might be attached to the base member. Likewise a bearing I4 is shown in the upper end of the stem member I0.

I have shown one embodiment of my invention, and although it is possible to ch'ange the structure, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structure shown, except as limited by my claims.

I now claim as new:

1. In an agitator for a domestic Washing machine, an integrally cast central stem and radially extending vane member, an upper bearing in said member, a drawn and substantially circular sheet metal base member having a circumferentially depending flange about its perimeter, said base member being radially co-extensive with said vane member, an upwardly turned circular ange formed in said base member and concentric with the axis of said upper bearing, and means securing said central stem and base members together as a unit.

2. In an agitator for domestic washing machines, an integrally cast central stem and vane member, a drawn sheet metal base member, a relatively deep vertical flange on the outer periphery of said base member to maintain the llatness of said base member, and means to fasten said central stem member and said base member together in a flat based unit.

ALPHEUS W. ALTORFER. 

